Wiregrass Seniors Magazine December 2018 DECEMBER ISSUE | Page 27

Computer Tips: For Us Seniors
WiregrassSeniorsMagazine.com
Page 27
10 Things To Consider When Buying A Computer
Buying a new computer can be quite confusing. Many
people find it difficult to compare prices, features,
processor types,etc to find the right choice in accor- 5. Brand
dance with their requirements. In this article we will Some brands offer better warrantees, whereas oth-
tell you the top 10 things to consider before buying. ers offer software packages that come with the sys-
tem. For example, a Dell laptop with the same speci-
10. Usability
fications may be cheaper than a Sony Vio. The rea-
It is important that you first consider the tasks that son is that Sony provides many of its own software
you will be performing on your PC. If you wish to buy with their laptops which saves the users cost for
a computer for simply browsing the internet and using buying certain software. However, if you are not in-
some online services than it might be better to buy a terested in those additional software packages, then
single core computer which satisfies your minimum it might be better to go for a cheaper brands.
requirements. On the contrary if you require using it
for heavy video editing and professional work, then 4. Hard Disk
it might be better to buy a system that has enhanced Hard Disk considerations might not mean much to a
multimedia options.
lay user, nonetheless, having the right amount of disk
9. Price
There might be some very fancy features that you
want in your new PC. However, if you don’t have the
need for a graphic card with 10GB memory, than
you might be better off choosing suitable alterna-
tives.
space for the efficient management of regular tasks
is critical. A common user can might need a 5GB or
less hard disk system.
3. RAM
It is obvious that for more professional tasks there
will be more RAM required than for merely using a
PC for browsing the internet. however, the more RAM
8. Operating System Type.
, the faster the computer will process tasks. Up to a
Users with minimum requirements may be better off certain point.
buying a Windows Starter or Home Premium ver-
sion e.g. of Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. For users 2. Processor
who wish to take advantage of more enhanced fea- The Processor is one of the most important parts of
tures and require more tools and such are naturally a system and can mean the difference between a
better off buying a Professional or Ultimate Edition. system that frequently hangs and the one that runs
Having said that, the cost goes up considerably from smoothly. Some people might think that going for
a Home version to a Professional version.
the low cost single core processor is a good idea
7. Size
Some people prefer buying larger laptops for a bet-
ter display screen, whereas other prefer smaller and
more portable sizes. If you are setting up a desktop
which will be placed on a desk, then size consider-
ations will not mater as much. Whereas, for people
with weak eye sights a laptop with a larger display
screen might be worth the option to consider.
6. Peripherals
Peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, etc
can significantly increase or reduce your price for
buying a new PC. It might be better off buying a
system with a DVD combo drive if you do not require
writing data to DVDs.
but I would not recommend that for anyone who re-
quires using a system for more than basic usage. A
dual-core processor has the ability to re-write the
hard drive after a problem with only a few clicks of
the mouse.
1. Warranty
Warranty makes up the most important consider-
ation for people when buying a system. Having one
covered with the right kind of hardware warranty is
essential and should be unconditional. I still remem-
ber when Sony had to recall several Laptops due to
a battery fault because of which their Laptops caught
fire. I’m sure none of us would like to have a Laptop
that we can fry omelets on without the guarantee of
replacement.